The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry.
—David, Psalm 34:15
Which came first, the chicken or the egg? The question has baffled great minds for centuries. But if you look in the Bible, the answer seems clear. On the fifth day of creation, God said “let
birds multiply on the earth” (Genesis 1:22). A similar question has plagued great Christian
thinkers: “What comes first, God’s favor or man’s obedience?” For Daniel, at least, the answer appears abundantly clear.
In Daniel 1:8 we see, “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself.” Then
in verse 9 we read, “Now God granted Daniel favor.” Notice that it didn’t come in the reverse
order, “Now God,” and then “But Daniel.” We all pray for favor, compassion, and blessings. But when we do not give our kids the proper formula for receiving this great favor, we are not
instilling in them the foundation of kingdom life.
God’s blessing and favor, more often than not, come through obedience to Him. Yes, He gives the rain to the righteous and the unrighteous, but what we are looking at here isn’t rain, it’s favor. God’s favor is the greatest thing anyone can have. Daniel took his stand. He obeyed. Then
he got God’s favor.
In raising your kingdom kids, always remember that verse 8 comes before verse 9 in Daniel chapter 1. Daniel had to make up his mind, then act on it before God responded. God still blesses people today when they obey His commands.
Application
1. What do you think would happen in your family’s life if you began to obey God in all things?
2. Why can obeying God’s commands be so difficult? What’s one step you can take today that will show God you are committed to His kingdom culture?
3. What part of the Daniel obedience principle do your children need to hear the most?
Prayer
God, help me to live according to Your holy Word, and please bestow Your favor upon my family. Amen.
An excerpt taken from Raising Kingdom Kids. Discover more at RaisingKingdomKids.org.
